Author: Kryptonews

Rain, a US stablecoin infrastructure provider and a principal member of the Visa payments network, has secured major funding to expand its global presence.The platform raised $250 million in a Series C funding round led by the global investment firm Iconiq, according to an announcement on Friday.The round values Rain at $1.95 billion, bringing the company’s total funding to $338 million, following a $58 million Series B round in August 2025 and another $24.5 million raise in March last year.The latest funding featured several existing investors, including the venture arm of Michael Novogratz-founded Galaxy Digital, Sapphire Ventures, Dragonfly, Lightspeed, Norwest…

Bitcoin (BTC) hovered at $90,000 around Friday’s Wall Street open as markets braced for US trade tariff news.Key points:RIsk-asset traders await news over US trade tariffs, as bets see the Supreme Court striking down the measures.US unemployment data misses expectations, with the Federal Reserve seen holding rates this month.Bitcoin traders demand clearer signals to end the rangebound price deadlock.US tariff ruling could come FridayData from TradingView showed indecisive BTC price action ahead of a potential Supreme Court ruling over the tariffs, known as a risk-asset volatility catalyst. BTC/USD one-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingViewCommenting, trading resource The Kobeissi Letter noted that bets…

Bitcoin (BTC) can hit $105,000 within weeks as a classic leading indicator stays bullish, says the latest market analysis.Key points:Bitcoin is enjoying bullish RSI signals on multiple timeframes as price action consolidates.A weekly RSI breakout occurred in December and continues to hold.Concerns about BTC price strength remain as traders still see new lows to come.RSI offers $105,000 BTC price targetIn an X post on Thursday, trader BitBull noted an ongoing breakout on Bitcoin’s weekly relative strength index (RSI).While BTC price action stays rangebound, an important RSI trend shift has in fact already been in play since December.A downtrend on the…

Jonty Bravery, a 24-year-old man who was given a life sentence for throwing a six-year-old French boy from the 10th floor balcony at the Tate Modern in London, now faces an additional sentence for new charges. Bravery was charged for—and recently found guilty of—assaulting two nurses in September 2024 at Broadmoor Hospital, a high-security psychiatric hospital in the UK. He has been held at Broadmoor since being sentenced for the Tate attack in 2020. That year, he was handed another 14-week jail sentence for attacking two other staff members at Broadmoor. Related Articles The Westminster Magistrates’ Court sentenced Bravery this…

Asset manager Grayscale has taken an early step toward expanding its crypto investment lineup by forming new Delaware statutory trusts tied to potential products linked to BNB and HYPE, according to state records.According to Delaware records, the trusts were registered on Thursday. They list CSC Delaware Trust Company as their registered agent. Such trust formations are common preparatory steps for asset managers considering exchange-traded fund (ETF) launches before filing official applications at the US Securities and Exchange Commission, but they do not indicate any regulatory approvals or confirm that filings have been submitted. The inclusion of BNB (BNB) and Hyperliquid (HYPE) stands…

Cryptocurrency company Ripple is expanding its regulatory footprint after securing authorization from the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).The FCA granted Ripple’s UK subsidiary, Ripple Markets UK, an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) registration and registered the firm under the UK’s Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs), according to official records.The EMI license allows firms to provide payment services and issue electronic money, a move that could potentially impact Ripple as it issues its stablecoin, Ripple USD (RLUSD).The approval came as the FCA set a timeline for its new crypto licensing regime, requiring MLR-registered firms to apply for full authorization under the Financial…

Public companies and crypto-focused treasury firms are increasingly turning to staking as a source of passive income.Sharplink Gaming, the world’s second-largest corporate Ether (ETH) holder, generated 10,657 Ether ($33 million) in passive yield on its staking operations during the past seven months, according to the company’s dashboard.Staking allows investors to earn passive income through committing their tokens to secure proof-of-stake blockchain networks.At current prices, SharpLink said staking activity added about $1.4 million in value for shareholders over the past week. “Our thesis remains unchanged: 100% ETH and 100% staked,” the company said in a post on X on Wednesday. SharpLink…

A crypto user known as The Smart Ape says he lost around $5,000 from a hot wallet after spending three days in a hotel, not because he clicked a phishing link, but because he made a series of “stupid mistakes,” including using an open WiFi network, taking a phone call in the lobby, and approving what looked like a routine wallet request. The incident, analyzed by security firm Hacken for Cointelegraph, shows how attackers can combine network‑level tricks with social cues and wallet UX blind spots to drain funds days after a victim signs a seemingly benign message.How hotel WiFi became…

Sotheby’s is binning any notion of “dry January” by betting big on whisky at the end of this month. At its new Breuer Building HQ on January 24, the house will host its first-ever live, single-owner sale devoted entirely to American whisky.Called The Great American Whisky Collection, it will be the most valuable collection of its kind to hit the market, with a high estimate of $1.7 million. A total of 360 bottles will hit the auction block, spread across 320 lots.  The auction is part of Visions of America, Sotheby’s weeklong series celebrating American art, objects, and innovation in…

Ongoing sanctions against nation-states pushed illicit cryptocurrency activity to unprecedented levels in 2025, as blacklisted governments and entities increasingly turned to blockchain networks to bypass financial restrictions. Key Takeaways: Sanctioned state actors drove illicit crypto activity to record levels in 2025. Stablecoins dominated illicit flows, accounting for most on-chain volume. Illicit transactions still make up less than 1% of total crypto activity. According to a new crypto crime report released Thursday by Chainalysis, illicit crypto addresses received at least $154 billion over the year, marking a 162% jump from $59 billion in 2024.The surge was largely driven by sanctioned entities…